Has Connor Hellebuyck’s time with the Winnipeg Jets come to an end, or will he be back next season?
NHL Media: EJ Hradek was asked if Connor Hellebuyck has played his last game for the Winnipeg Jets and if he’ll be traded by the beginning of the season.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Jamison Coyle: “Has the netminder played his last game already in Winnipeg?”
Hradek: “I feel he has. I feel that, that the conversations that Hellebuyck talked about after the 12 months, all of the rumors about him being moved. I feel they’re, they’re planning on moving him.
NHL Rumors: Pittsburgh Penguins, and the St. Louis Blues
Now, again, I am going back to the situation with Buffalo. I feel for the Winnipeg Jets, they need to get someone who might be a second center in return. Someone who could slide behind (Mark) Scheifele and fill a hole they’ve had, quite frankly, there for a very long time.
I feel the forwards and backwards with the Buffalo Sabres has been, the Sabres actually need Hellebuyck. They’ll offer you the goalie, and possibly it’s UPL in return, so that you get that fixed up. You have got him and (Stuart) Skinner together. But what’s the opposite piece? I feel Buffalo is willing to maneuver off of Jack Quinn, but he’s a winger. So does that basically help the Winnipeg Jets, who just got here to terms with Cole Perfetti (last week) on an extension, which is nice news for them?
So, you realize, I feel that’s the rub there. And again, there’s no urgency at once in the midst of July. Buffalo might be sitting there and saying, ‘Well, that is what we’re willing to supply, and you realize that’s it.’ After which Winnipeg, then again, is saying, ‘Listen, you wish Connor Hellebuyck? It’s going to must be a distinct player, player X, player Y.’ You have got so many good young players there in Buffalo.
So I feel that’s the rub, because again, there isn’t a rush at once. It could occur any day. We could, August sixth, September 1st. Who knows? But as we catch up with to the regular season, that pressure starts to construct, and possibly that’s what the Buffalo Sabres are hoping for-that the Jets don’t need to go into the season having to have this hanging over their head.
Coyle: “Yeah, Connor Hellebuck to Buffalo, hypothetical. If it happens, how a lot better does that make the Sabres on paper?
Hradek: “Well, I feel on paper, actually rather a lot higher. I mean, let’s face it: this guy has won multiple Vezina trophies, won the Hart Trophy, he’s got a gold medal. He’s a extremely good goaltender, and it fills the slot there in Buffalo. So there’s absolute confidence about it.
The Montreal Canadiens can only really offer up futures
But I’ll say this in regards to the Sabres: (Alex) Tuch is gone up front. (Bowen) Byram is gone on the blue line. That’s some significant depth. They’ve some really talented young players which are going to be necessary players for the Sabres that they think can fill those roles, particularly in 2, 3, 4 years down the road. However it’s awfully difficult within the immediate to switch those 30-plus goals from Tuch and the large size and strength that he has, and to switch what Byron was in a position to do in a second-pair role for the Sabres on the blue line. So it’ll be interesting to see how things go in Buffalo this 12 months, after such an ideal season last 12 months.”
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